Label-wiping device



Aug. 17 1926. l',596,372

C. H. 'OSLUND ET AL LABEL' WIPING DEVIQE- Fle'a Jan. i0, 19; 2 Srfeetssneez l'1 Z4 2E 1 la Z5 4 afg) .f n .y 4"- ,27/ iB a.;

l 2L I E0 :Ill-: ,Z6

Charlas j?A sand -J/zn menue( r/z/zso/z Aug. 17, 1926. l 1 C. H. OSLUND ET AL LABEL wIPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Char-(0.5 1753/212 .Erm Br Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UMTEDy STATES PATENT. o-F'Flc E.

CHARLES H. OSL'U'ND AND 'JOHN E. J OHNSGNyOF 'VYQ'RCESEEEB',l MIASSAHUSET'IS,` AS- SIGN-CRS T 10 8c J MACHENE COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS; .L

CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

LABEL-WIPING DEVICE. i

Application mea January 19.1925.. serialjrx .'1.,'e9a.VV

This 'invention relates to a machine for applying a label all around the neck of a bottle or the like and wiping it down in such a manner that the pressure of the wiping rollers willl smooth .down all parte of the label and will .act to wipe down both ends of the label in Vsuch a manner as to in-` sure their .sticking tightly to the bottle.

The invention involves the application of the label wiping device to a labelling Inachine of the rotary table in which the table.

labelling machine partly in central section showing `a preferred vembodiment of this invention;

2 is a planof the same.;

A enlarged scale g Fig. 4 is a .side view of the same withV parts in section;

5 is a .sectional view .on theL line lSM5 of Figa; and f Figs. .6,A 7, v8 .and .9 are plan views with the operating .parts removed .showing various steps in the operation .of `wiping down machine.-

We have shown the invention .as applied to` an .ordinary rotary tableV labelling ma* chine of our own construction .comprising ously with a vertical shaft 11. This table has stations. :at which the bottles B or other articles to vbe labelled are .clamped down by clamps 12 having clamping rods -13 extending up through `the table just vbehind each bottle. We have shown a part of alabelling device 14; which brings the label over Fig. 1 is a side Vview .of Aa rotary .table` Fig. ,3 is a plan ofthe wipers located over the table showing parts insection and on' a neck label on a bottle by means of this a .table .or carrier l0 which rotates .continu-` and `places it in front yoit a bottle and .a label grip 1-5 which grips the' label 4centrally Qn the front oat' thebot-tle and holds Vit while the bottle is passing around a part ofthe circumference. V.These partslare all old and the invention is. vnot' .necessarilylimted to this type of machine but is particularly adapted thereto. On the machine frame 16 is an upward extension- 17 and a vertical rod 18. `These parts .carry a bracket24. On'the shait llwhich isdriven in any desired way vwie provide a gear 20 which through gearing .and-shait drives a vertical shaft 2l which entends'up above .the table and is located beyond :the circumference. This shaftby bevelgea-rs drives a `horiZcn-' tal .shaft 22 anda vertical shaft 23 which hangs..` down. from bearings on the bracket. 24 within the circumference; of, but above.; the table. lOn each of the shafts 21and 23 isV fixed a collar 25 having an arm '26 projecting outfrom it. Resting on the collar; is a. hub 27 provided withan arm 28 secured to the hub by a screw 29 or the like and capable 0l bedingfadjvusted bythescrew about aV pivotBO with which Ait' is provided.

A? light .spring'l' etendsrom the arm 2.6. to the arm 28. The `collar 25 is provided 80 with a stop 3 2 which projects vdown against y a stop loon the collar '25., .It willfbe seen that the collar 25 will rotate with theshaft 28 andthat through .the springthe rotation of the shaft 23 will carryalong the hub .27 behind it. The-hub Vis .yieldingly connected. with the vshaft so that if=it meets .an obstruction it will4` be retarded.

Fromv .thishub .extend radial karms .34, shown here .as three-fin number. These are mountedV so that they canfbead'justed na? dially and xedfby set screws VV35. On ,each arm there islavertical stud 36 having a metal bushing 37 on it ,to which is'fiXed a wiping roller R.Y In the 4present instancel 95 these rollersare cylindrical in shape .and of soft. material as felt or rubber.; They are mounted [to freely rotate 0n .the studsif being held down by screws 39 so .as to all inthe samehorizontal planebut'each one 100 free to rotatek on its own-axis. v

On the other shaft 31 there are the same devices .andff the v'rollers ,are preferably floc'ated in a mannerv'about/ this shaft and spaced equally apart and three of them being present, although the number 1s dependent upon the speed of the table and the spacing of the bottles thereon, among other things.

'With the Vparts karranged in the manner shown in-these drawings, each of the shafts 21 and 23 makes a third of a turn while the table turns far enough for the bottles to move from any position to the next one. The shafts 21 and 23 rotate in the direct-lon of the arrows near the shafts on Figure 6 and the table is also rotating in the direction of the arrow at its circumference. A bottle marked B in Fig. 6 comes around into 'a position to engage a roll R on theshaft-21, as shown in that figure. At the same time another bottle B, preferably the next one, which has been through the process, is just receiving its last pressure from a roll Ba on theshaft 23. By the time the table has rotated from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7, the roller Ba has been left behind by the bottle B and has come out of contact with it for that reason and has passed inside the rod 13. The table rotates at a greater surface speed at this point than the rollers. At the same time the rotation of the shaft 21 causes the roller R to be pressed against the label L held to the bottle at the center of the front thereof by the gripper 15. On account of the yielding action and the particular directions of the path of the tableand rollers, the result of'this is that this roller vpresses against the vlabel with a yieldingpressure all the way along this path and lis forced to yield backwardlyas indicated by the short arrow in Fig. 6. the time the table gets to the position shown in Fig. 7, this roller is pressing against the rear. end of the label with considerable pressure due to the fact that the spring is now considerably stretched.

But as the table moves along from this position to the position shown in Fig. A8, the bottle moving faster than the driven speed of the roller, the tension on the springV is released vand the spring causes `the roller to keepup with the bottle and apply pressure to it constantly. l That is practically the only effect thatA has occurred'onthis side during this part of the rotation. On the inside, so to speak, the roller Rb,which previously has not been mentioned, now comes around in the direction of the arrow and on account of the converging curved paths of this roller and the bottle, it engages the label first the position indicated in Fig. 8. Yew as the table moves V forward and also the roller Rb, it passes along over the label and wipes it down the way the other end was wiped down by the other roller.

By the time ,the parts reach' the position shown in Fig. 9, the bottle'B has moved betact between these parts.

yond the roller R and gone out of contact with it and the circular movement of that roller has been fast enough to draw that roller out from between'the bottle and the clamping rod so that there will be no con- But atthis'stage the other roller on the inside numbered lib has yielded and rolled around into position to wipe over the end of the label and lap it over its end that was laid down by the roller R. This is likewise pressed against the label by yielding spring pressure and held in Contact with it longer than it would be if the hub 37 were fixed-on the'shaft 23, thus insuring the pressing down'of this label fully at this point and the smooth application of the label to the bottle.

It will be understood that the next bottle B2 to come into action will be engaged by the next roller Rb on one side and Re on the other in the manner that has been described above. The reason for using three rollers on each side is to permit of the rapid operation of the table but the same idea could be carried out with the use of four rollers, or even one, if the speeds were changed accordingly. y

Although we have illustrated and` described only a single form of the invention we are aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in. the claims. Therefore we do notwish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described but whatwe do'claim is Y 1. In a labelling machine, thev combination of a carrier for the articles tobe labelled movable at a constant speed, a shaft adjacent thereto rotatable on its axis at a constant speed and provided with an arm having a freely. rotatable wiping roller thereon, and yielding means .for connecting the arm with the shaft, whereby the arm can lag behind the shaft if it meets an ob`- struction, the parts being so positioned that as an article to be labelled moves around it will come into contact with said roller at a point on one side and will causethe roller to behind andengage the end of a label on the article at the rear thereof and will remain pressed against the end of theV label while the carrier is moving so as to insure the laying of that end of the label down smoothly xon the surface of the article.

2. In a 'labelling1 machine, the combination with a'travelling carrier for the articles to be. labelled, of a rotary shaft, means for rotating said shaft, an arm extending from said shaft and having a freely rotatable wiping roller thereon for engaging an article to be labelled on the carrier, the direc.

tionv of rotation of the shaft being such that the roller moves in the Vgeneral direction in which the article moves on the carcil ri-er but at a slower rate vof speed, and yielding means for connecting the roller with the shaft, Awhereby when.VV the roller engages the forward side of the article to be labelled, the article will pass beyond it and force the roller to move more slowly in such a manner as to hol-d the label down on the article until the roller engages the rear side thereof, and, when released by the normal motion of the article on Vthe conveyor, the roller will'resume its normal position.

3. In a labelling machine, the combination with a carrier for the articles to be labelled, a shaft'adjacentthereto provided with an arm having a freely rotatable wiping roller, and means for rotating said shaft constantly, yielding means for connecting the arm with the' shaft, whereby as an article tobe labelled comes into*contactfwithsai'd roller at a 'point on one side, the roller will lag behind and engage' the ,end of a label on the article at the `rear-thereof and'will remain pressed constantly against the 'end of the label for a time while the carrier is moving.

ll. In -a neck labelling machine, the combination with a rotary table for supporting bottles `to be labelled, of a ypai: of shafts, one inside the area of the table and' one outside, means for rotating said shafts, a collar fixed on each shaft, a'spring 4connected with the collar, a hub freely mounted on each shaft adjacent to the collar and connected with it by said spring, whereby normally the rotation of the shaft will pull the hub around with it but it will be permitted to yield and move more slowly than the shaft at any time, said hub being provided with arms project-ing therefrom spaced apart, and a soft surfaced wiping roller located on each of the arms at the same elevation as the neck labels on the bottles carried by the table, said shafts being so located and driven at such speeds thatas the table rotates continuously a roller connected with one shaft will first engage the front side of the neck label on the bottle at the point where the label is located and will then move part way around the'bottle and press that end of the label down and while that roller is in contact with the end of the label at that point, one of the rollers on the other shaft will engage the label at a forward point and on the opposite side and as the Vtable moves forward will roll down that end of the label and press it against the first end thereof. j

5. In a labelling machine, the combination with a rotary table for supporting bottles to be labelled, of a pair of shafts perpendicular to the plane of the table, one inside the area of the table and one outside, means for rotating said shafts at constant speed from the table, a collar fixed on each shaft, a hub freely mount-ed on each shaft adjacent to the collar, a spring 'as the table rotates continuously la l roller connected with the outside shaft will engage the front side of the neck of the bottle at' the point whereY `the label is'y located and will then moye, as the table mores past, about half way around the bot. tle and press that end of the label down by a yieldingpressure as its shaft is held back by the bottle and while that roller is in contact withA the end of the label at that point, one of the rollers `on Ithe insidev shaft-y will eng-tage the label at a forward point and on the opposite side and as the table moviesforward will roll down that endfof the label and press it against the first end with a yielding pressure and with .a dwell as thetablemoves along.

6; ln neck labelling machine, the combination with la rotary table for supporting bottles to be labelled, of a pair of shafts, one inside the area of the table and one outside, means for rotating said shafts, a collar fixe-d on each shaft, a spring connected with the collar, a hub freely mounted on each shaft adjacent to the collar and connected with it by said spring, whereby normally the rotation of the shaft will pull the hub around lwith it but it will be permitted to yield and move more slowly than the shaft at any time, said hub being provided with varms projecting therefrom spaced apart,

and a soft surfaced wiping roller located on each of the arms at the same elevation as the neck labels on the bottles carried by the table.

7. In a labelling machine, the combination with a rotary table for supporting bottles to be labelled, of a pair of shafts, one

inside the area of the table and one outside, means for rotating said shafts,-a col^ lar fixed ron eachshaft, a spring connected with thev collar, an arm freely mounted on `eachshaft. and connected with the collar by said spring, whereby normally the rotation of the shaft will pull the arms around with it but it will be permitted to yield and move more slowly than the shaft .at any time, and a soft surfaced wiping roller located on each arm at the same elevation as the labels on the bottles carried by the table.

8. ln a labelling machine, the combination with a rot-ary table for supporting bottles to `be labelled, of a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a collar fixed on said Y llO shaft, a spring connected with the collar, an arm freely mounted on said shaft and connected with the collar by said spring, whereby normally the rotation of the shaft will pull the arm around withit but it will be permitted to yield and move more slowly than the shaft at any time, and a soft surfaced wiping roller located on the arm at the same elevation as the labels on the bottles carried by the table.

9. In a labelling machine, the combination vwith a rotary table for supporting bottles to be labelled, of a. shaft inside the area of the table, means for rotating said shaft, a collar fixed on said shaft, a spring connected with the collar, an arm freely mounted on said shaft and connected with the collar by said spring, whereby normally the rotation of the shaft will pull the arm around withvit but it will ybe permitted to yield andemove more slowly than the shaft at any time',-and a soft surfaced wiping roller located on the 'arm at the same elevation as the labels on the bottles carried by the table,

around the bottle and press that end of the label down.

l0. In a labelling machine, the combination with a rotary table for supporting loottles to be labelled, of a shaft perpendicular to the plane of the table outside'k the area of the table, means for rotating said shaft at constant speed from the table, ka colla-r fixed on said shaft, an arm freely mounted on the shaft adjacent to the collar, a spring connecting the arm with the shaft, whereby normally the rotation ofthe shaft will pull the arm around with it but permit it to yield and'move more slowly than the shaft at any time, and a soft surfaced wiping roller located on the arm at the same elevation as the labels on the bottles carried by the table, said shaft being so located and being driven at such a speed that as the table rotates continuously the roller on the inT side shaft will engage the label at a forward point and as the table moves forwardV will roll down that end of the label and press it against the first end with a yielding pressure and with a dwell as the table moves along.`

In testimony whereof we affixed our signatures. Y

CHARLES H. OSLUND.-

JOHN E. JOHNSON.

have hereunto 

